South Bend school closure timeline revealed

Community input to be gathered in August, September.

SOUTH BEND — One thing is almost certain: By the beginning of the 2013-14 school year, South Bend Community School Corp. will operate two or three fewer schools.

What’s much less clear at this point, is which buildings will ultimately close.

As part of its plan to cut more than $12 million from the district’s overall budget, the school board this spring said that about $1 million of that would come from building closures.

In an effort to increase efficiency, reduce excess capacity, equalize resources and ultimately save money, the school corporation hired South Bend-based architects Hebard & Hebard to study its facilities from a variety of angles.

Ken Hebard, from the firm, has said the primary criteria that’ll be used when redistricting options are developed is focusing on disrupting as few students as possible while simultaneously adhering to the consent decree that requires racial balance in South Bend schools.

Superintendent Carole Schmidt said strategic planning for the corporation will take place in August and the facilities study will be a big part of it.

Out of that planning, two primary schools and two intermediate schools will likely be named for possible closure.

With those potential plans in hand, the school corporation will go to the public in August and September to get input.

By the end of September, Schmidt and her team, taking into consideration the input received from the community, along with other data, will make a preliminary recommendation to the school board about building closures.

When asked if that would likely focus on two buildings, Schmidt indicated it could, though it could be as many as three.

The board is expected to vote on the matter at its Oct. 8 meeting.

In light of the consent decree, she said the district will seek approval for the redistricting from the U.S. Department of Justice.

The closures would be effective at the beginning of the 2013-14 school year.

As for what the public thinks about the plan, Schmidt said she genuinely cares.

“Input will be taken very seriously,” she said, “because we can’t just do what’s been done in the past and say ‘Oh by the way, we’re going to close your school.’ ”